-icus

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See also ICUs

[edit] Latin

From Proto-Indo-European *-ikos, *-iḱos, formed with the i-stem suffix *-i- and the adjectival suffix *-ko-. Cognates include Ancient Greek -ικος (-ikos), Sanskrit श (-śas), क (-kas) and Old Church Slavonic -ъkъ (ŭkŭ).

PIE *-ko- on noun stems carried the meaning 'characteristic of, like, typical, pertaining to', and on adjectival stems it acted emphatically.

-icus m. (feminine -ica, neuter -icum); first/second declension

The suffix -icus is added to a noun, adjective, verb, etc., to form an adjective.

Examples:

ūnicus (“single, unique”), from ūnus (“one”)

amīcus (“loving, friendly”), from amō (“I love”)

gallicus (“Gallic, Gaulish”), from Gallia (“Gaul”)

metallicus (“metallic”), from metallum (“metal”)